


Winds of Change

by ShadoKat771



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 20:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19776307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadoKat771/pseuds/ShadoKat771
Summary: A phone call during a mission debrief changes everything for the Phoenix team.





	Winds of Change

**Author's Note:**

> *Never* piss off a writer...

The mood inside the Phoenix Foundation war room was light. Teasing banter flowing freely between the agents.

“I can’t believe you thought anyone would believe you were the Sultan of Swingola, Bozer”, Riley Davis said, chuckling.

“Well, it would have worked”, Bozer replied, smiling, “if you hadn’t started giggling under your hijab. How was I supposed to know they knew their geography?”

“At least this time, Mac didn’t have to destroy anyone’s cell phone”, Desi Nguyen, the team’s newest member, said.

“That’s because the bad guys were kind enough to provide one for me”, Angus “Mac” MacGyver said, crossing the room and grabbing a few paperclips from a large bowl on the low table in the center of the room. He sat down in one of the low, cushy chairs and began shaping the thin metal with his fingers.

“Alright, alright”, a new voice cut through the chatter. “Settle down, people”. The Director of the Phoenix Foundation, Matilda “Matty” Webber entered the room. What she lacked in height, she made up with intimidation. The room grew quiet as she walked to stand in front of the wall of monitors and screens, then she turned to the group, smiling. “The ambassador’s daughter you rescued is now back with her parents”, she continued, “and the cartel who had kidnapped her has been shut down and their assets seized”. She paused and her smile grew wider, “Oh, yes. Laura wanted to thank Uncle Mac and Uncle Bozer especially for their help. '' Another chuckle ran through the room.

At that moment, an aide cautiously entered the room, balancing a tablet on one arm. Her expression was a mixture of serious professionalism and sheer panic. She cleared her throat and said, “Director Webber, you have a call on the secure SAT line. A Colonel Grissom.”

Matty looked at the aide. “Did you say Grissom?” At the woman’s nod, her smile disappeared in a flash. She pointed to the wall of monitors behind her. “Connect us”, she ordered, “and close the door behind you when you leave”. 

As the aide left, Matty moved to the bank of windows near the door and touched one, causing the glass to frost over. When she had turned around, the view on the screen was that of an older, grey haired man in camouflage fatigues in shades of green sitting inside a tent filled with men and monitors. “Colonel Grissom”, she said, a note of caution in her voice. “How may we assist you?”

The Colonel took a deep breath before speaking. “I regret to inform you that Sergeant Jack Dalton was killed in action earlier today”.

There were audible gasps in the War Room. Riley screamed, “NO!” Desi put an arm around Riley’s shoulder, and she buried her face, sobbing.

Bozer cleared his throat, then asked, “how...How did it happen?”

“At 1200 hours the squad the Sergeant was in was ambushed by some of Kovac’s men as they were clearing a weapons depot”, the Colonel replied, his voice even and professional. “There was heavy fire and explosions, but what the squad was able to determine in our last communication was that for whatever reason, Sergeant Dalton’s weapon had a catastrophic backfire”.

“Last communication?” Matty echoed, regaining her composure.

“Yes, Director”, Colonel Grissom said, nodding.” We haven’t had communication with the squad since 1300 hours, and that was several hours ago”.

MacGyver looked up at the ceiling and muttered, “ I  _ told _ him to pay attention to those damned bolt carriers”.

The others, aside from Matty, looked at him. “The what now?” Bozer asked.

“Bolt carriers”, Desi replied. “Dalton had a habit of forgetting to check them. Apparently, he didn’t, jammed some ammo in and…..” Her voice trailed off as she glanced at Riley.

MacGyver nodded. “Needless to say,'' he said quietly, “it’s going to be a closed casket”.

“Please keep us in the loop, Colonel”, Matty was saying, still focused on the call.

“Of course, Director,'' Grissom replied. “Again, my condolences to you and your team”.

“Thank you, Colonel,” Matty said, then the screen went dark. The team saw her straighten up, taking a breath, before she turned to face them. When she did, they saw her eyes were glittering with unshed tears. “Oversight and I will be keeping tabs on the situation with the exfil team”, she said, her voice calm and steady, “and we’ll tell you as soon as we know more. I’ll be sending a team to Dalton’s apartment so they can pack it up and ship it to his sister in Texas”. She paused. “Then we will start making arrangements for a memorial”.

“He’d want a wake”, Riley said, her voice hoarse with tears. She nodded several times. “Yeah, he told me once he’d want to have a wake instead of some stuffy old memorial”.

“He would”, MacGyver agreed. “We’d talked about it before”.

Desi nodded in agreement, then said to Riley, “come on, I can help you plan a good one”. The two women then left the room.

“I”, Bozer began, “I should go call Leanna. She needs to know the news”. He looked at Matty, who nodded, then left the room.

Matty looked at the only other person left in the room. MacGyver stood in front of her, still holding the paperclips in his hands. For the most part, his expression was neutral, but there were flickers of anger and frustration in his blue eyes. “I know,'' she said.”He never listened”.

“And now his bull-headedness has got him killed”, MacGyver said quietly, his voice even. A single tear escaped and marked a trail down his cheek.

“Mac”, Matty said gently, “she’s just finished a class down in the gym. Go. Be with her. You need her now”.

MacGyver nodded in agreement. “Thanks Matty”, he said, then left the room.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I may add this to my series at some point, or not, depending on how the timeline goes. Please leave a Comment and /or Kudo on your way out. Thanks for reading.


End file.
